Chapter 47: Quid Pro Quo

What others might be thinking, Du Yuan had no way of knowing.

He only knew that he had finally managed to lay these troublesome roof tiles.

The task of repairing the temple could finally be considered complete to perfection.

Wiping the beads of perspiration from his forehead, Du Yuan sat down on the roof of the temple, gazing out into the distant mountains and rivers to rest his weary muscles and soothe his eyes.

The distant mountains were dyed a deep, twilight indigo by the gathering dusk, and the winding streams cut through the valleys like silver chains.

The untainted natural beauty of mountains and rivers, untouched by the dusty world, was truly captivating.

Amidst the gentle caress of the mountain breeze, that voice once again lingered in Du Yuan's ear:

'Are you a man of the Buddha?'

The Buddhist mantra "Prajna Paramita Hum" was a phrase ordinary folk neither understood nor knew the origin of, but this entity would certainly not mishear it.

Moreover, during that final descent which suppressed the waters of the entire world, this entity had witnessed with its own eyes the miraculous spectacle of the Buddhist realm hanging upside down.

Such methods indeed bore little resemblance to those of the Daoist sect.

"The Buddha's teachings are too far removed from this mortal world, so I am no monk."

How could Du Yuan ever admit to being a monk? Having finally shaken off that identity, to fall back into it would be terribly exasperating.

Therefore, Du Yuan offered this entity a clever remark that could be interpreted in multiple ways.

'For the sake of... the mortal world?'

It was not a question, but an answer.

Du Yuan said nothing more, merely taking a brief rest atop the temple.

Yet after a long while, Du Yuan heard this entity suddenly ask a question—one somewhat obscure, yet sounding vaguely familiar.

'For the sake of this mortal world, is it truly worth casting aside your fruit position?'

Naturally, Du Yuan had no idea that Fahai's thunderous "Prajna Paramita Hum" had no origin in the Buddhist scriptures.

The owner of that voice knew this clearly in their heart, yet held their own insights.

After all, the inverted Buddhist realm and the divine power that suppressed the world's waves could not be faked.

Therefore, this must be a supreme technique that had formed its own canon.

Its profundity, one could surmise, captured the very essence of the *Heart Sutra*:

Taking "Prajna" as its foundation, it seized the ultimate wisdom of perceiving the origin of all things;

Blending "Paramita" as its utility, it manifested the supreme methods of the Bodhisattva's six perfections and ten thousand practices;

And finally, sealing it with "Voidness," it harmonized with the ultimate truth that all phenomena possess no inherent self-nature and arise through dependent origination.

With these three dharmas perfectly fused, such a heaven-shaking and earth-shattering supreme mantra was born!

Though this method had not touched upon the fundamental doctrines dividing the Mahayana and Hinayana, it already possessed a heaven-reaching heritage profound enough to blaze a new trail and found an independent sect!

And when he transitioned from Buddhism to Daoism, he must have directly cast aside that golden, perfected Buddha fruit position, transforming it into the stepping stone to re-enter the entanglements of the mortal realm...

Of course Du Yuan had no inkling of what was passing through this entity's mind; he was merely quietly pondering based on what had been said.

Well, it seemed this entity had truly been led astray by his guidance. But as for a fruit position? Hehe, his meager understanding of Buddhism, which didn't even count as having left home halfway, what sort of fruit position could he possibly have!

Such matters naturally could not be spoken aloud, so Du Yuan remained silent.

He merely gazed at the distant landscape, then lowered his head to look at the ordinary folk outside the temple, smiling quietly to himself.

Witnessing this scene, the voice could not help carrying an inexpressible, profound nuance.

'If you were to continue deeply cultivating the Buddhist teachings, you might well bring them into the mortal world... Very well, I have only ever listened to the Dharma being preached before the Buddha; I am likely far inferior to you in your own fundamental insight.'

'However, since that is your wish, and I have received such great grace from you, I will do my utmost to fulfill it.'

You seem to be overthinking things more and more.

Yet I appear to be far less lofty than you imagine.

What Du Yuan did not know, however, was that as those words fell, a layer of imperceptible yet substantial, unadorned Buddhist light had wrapped itself around him.

Fluctuating between the ethereal and the tangible, devoid of any flashy pretense, yet preternaturally real.

Du Yuan remained oblivious to this transformation, but the entity saw it clearly. Yet, no warning was given—after all, it should rightfully be this way, shouldn't it?

Slightly shifting his gaze, Du Yuan offered a light laugh and said, "Each fulfilling their duty, each tending to their mandate, and the mortal world will naturally enjoy boundless peace for ten thousand years. For you to think in this manner is truly a blessing for the common people of the world."

This was originally meant as a perfunctory reply by Du Yuan, who had no idea what the entity was actually thinking.

Yet upon hearing these words, the other party responded with profound astonishment.

'Strange! You clearly cast aside your fruit position to transition from Buddhism to Daoism, so why are your words and thoughts grounded in the teachings of Confucianism?'

Ah, is this a Confucian way of thinking?

I have no idea.

How could I possibly be so well-versed in the doctrines of the Three Teachings?

Just as Du Yuan was wondering how to reply, the voice suddenly exclaimed in utter bewilderment:

'Could it be that you feel the Daoist school is also insufficient? That is why you wish to traverse the prominent teachings of all Three Teachings one by one?'

'Ah, those who master all Three Teachings are countless throughout history, and even those who thoroughly study the hundred schools of philosophers can be found; but to possess the great divine powers of all Three Teachings rendered manifest? Not a single one has ever existed!'

'You have indeed found the path most likely to achieve your ambition, but must you truly tread such a thorny and arduous road?'

In the eyes of this entity, Du Yuan's stature had grown infinitely loftier.

As for Du Yuan himself: *Good heavens, just what on earth has your old mind wandered off to?*

Yet he could not remain silent any longer, so after a whirlwind of thoughts, Du Yuan borrowed the very phrase this entity had once used on him:

"It's all the same!"

At that moment, not only the mountain breeze, but even heaven and earth itself seemed to pause for a breath.

Looking at Du Yuan, who was still smiling faintly.

After a very, very long silence, that voice finally lost its previous ethereal detachment and ceased carrying that inexpressible ambiguity.

The voice simply spoke earnestly to Du Yuan:

"I cannot see through you, nor do I know how deep your cultivation truly is. But since this is what you wish to do, I will stand behind you."

With that, for the very first time, the voice let out a soft chuckle:

"Should you ever feel too weary one day and find you can no longer walk this path, feel free to turn back. This little temple of mine can still reserve a place for you. It may not compare to the fruit position you discarded, but it is certainly better than being crowded around the Buddha."

Du Yuan shook his head and smiled:

"You've become much more talkative."

The voice also recovered its previous ethereal quality.

'Mm, I'm feeling much better, so naturally I'm more inclined to speak. Therefore, truly, I thank you!'

"No need for thanks. By the way, might I have these replaced roof tiles?"

Du Yuan pointed to the pile of discarded tiles stacked below.

'Naturally.'

"Many thanks!"

Feeling that he had rested sufficiently, Du Yuan cupped his hands in a salute toward the temple and descended the ladder.

The villagers nearby immediately gathered around.

"Daoist priest, do you think the Mountain God is satisfied?"

Du Yuan glanced back at the statue—still somewhat weathered, yet possessing a profound and settled spiritual presence—and smiled.

"More than satisfied!"

"Oh, wonderful, simply wonderful!"

The crowd instantly burst into smiles and sprang into action. The women pushed the offerings of fruit further forward on the altar, while the men hurried to add incense to the burner. Du Yuan retreated to the side, watching them pay their respects to the divine statue.

When the villagers had finished their tasks, Du Yuan called them over and said:

"Everyone, I have already made prior arrangements. You may take these replaced tiles home to patch up the gaps left by your donations!"

The elderly village chief waved his hands frantically: "We mustn't, we mustn't! These are tiles removed from the temple; how could we country folk dare to taint the Mountain God's property..."

Before he could finish, Du Yuan had already gently pressed his withered wrist, the warmth from his palm seeping through the coarse cloth sleeve:

"You kind folks sacrificed your own peace and shelter from the elements to bring quiet and tranquility to the temple. It is only right that you receive tit-for-tat kindness in return."

Du Yuan's voice was gentle, easily sinking into the hearts of the villagers.

The old village chief opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing, before suddenly turning around and shouting: "What are you all staring blankly for! This is a blessing from the Daoist priest and the Mountain God! Quick, kneel and kowtow in gratitude!"

At his words, the villagers dropped to their knees in unison, filling the freshly cleared ground with the sound of their foreheads striking the earth.

After just a few kowtows, Du Yuan raised a hand to stop them from continuing.

"There, there, no need for such formality. Step forward, everyone, and I shall distribute them to you right now!"

Hearing that the Daoist priest would personally distribute the tiles, the villagers lined up spontaneously without even needing the chief's urging.

At the head of the line, the old village chief leaned on his jujube-wood cane, his frosty white beard trembling slightly with his excited breathing.

Having lived seventy or eighty years in the village, he had often witnessed folks renovating local temples, but he had never imagined he would personally receive tiles touched by a 'manifested Mountain God.'

And these were even stripped directly from the roof of the temple itself!

Looking at the old man before him, Du Yuan smiled warmly, reached into the stack of tiles beside him, picked one up at random, and handed it to him.

It had a few chips in it, not nearly as nice as the carefully selected ones he had installed on the roof.

Yet this was a bestowal from the Mountain God himself. Thus, the old village chief's smile remained from ear to ear.

Even his hunched spine straightened. Tremblingly pressing the tile against his chest, he first bowed deeply in obeisance to Du Yuan, then turned and performed three kowtows toward the divine statue.

After bowing in gratitude to both Du Yuan and the statue while holding the tile, the old village chief cast a bewildered glance down at the object in his hands.

*Didn't it have several chips in it just a moment ago?!*

*How, how could this be?*

The tile in the old village chief's hands no longer bore any chips; instead, intricate cloud patterns had naturally formed upon its surface, and a profound, restrained spiritual aura emanated from it.

Of course, the old man could not perceive the latter, but he could certainly feel that the tile in his grasp had become extraordinarily different!

The divine statue offered no reply, leaving him to gaze blankly at Du Yuan.

With a smile, Du Yuan said:

"This is a blessing of divine protection and merit. You must place it securely upon your main roof beam—it can ward off evil, avert disasters, and accumulate auspicious karmic affinity!"